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Exhibition
Monday | 20 April 2026 11 a.m.

Farm to Form to Fair – Textile Practices at the Intersection of Product, Interior & Fashion Desig

ALCOVA 2026 | Baggio Military Hospital, Building Stecca 8
Historisches Ziegelfassade des Speicher XI, Außenansicht an der Hochschule für Künste Bremen, mit üppigem Grün im Vordergrund.

Opening hours

20.04.2026–26.04.2026, 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

This research-based design project within the University of the Arts' Integrated Design programme traces the journey from harvesting the material, through the creative and craftbased process, to its presentation  at Milan Design Week. At the center of this holistic exploration lies a conscious approach to material, time and provenance.

Over the course of a year, more than 50 students actively harvested, prepared and processed natural materials such as sedges, rushes, willows, silver grass, water lilies or bark. These linear materials are particularly well-suited to textile techniques. In workshops with experienced basket weaving designers/craftspeople, the students learned the basics of textile techniques such as weaving, plaiting, wrapping, coiling, sewing and twisting in three-dimen-sional space. Direct contact and hands-on engagement with the raw materials shape the entire design process. Growth, structure, texture and other material properties become factors that determine the design.  

The works range from body–related accessories to furniture and interior objects. ● FARM TO FORM TO FAIR ● makes design processes visible and conceives  a space where cultural origin, design and craftsman-ship come together as a narrative.

The exhibition will take place as part of Milan Design Week ALCOVA 2026.

Hanswerner Kirschmann: Bremen (klassisches Korbflechten mit Weiden)

Claudia Reuter: Weidenzentrum Wurster Nordseeküste (Grundlagen zum freien Flechten mit Weiden)

Evey Kwong: Berlin (Beyond Baskets)

Juliane Petri: Moorhofer Grünlandhof (Ernte von Binsen und Seggen, Paludi Grünlandwirtschaft)

Gundel Liebmann: Kassel (Flechten, Fitzen, Zwirnen, Looping mit Naturmaterialien)

Maria Thamm und die ehrenamtlichen Mitarbeiterinnen: Strohmuseum Twistringen (Strohhüte aus Strohflechtband)

Prof. Kai Lehmann: HfK Bremen (Hutkunde)

Claudia Reuter: Weidenzentrum Wurster Nordseeküste (Weidenernte und Entwicklung von Weidenhockern)

Dr. Charlett Wenig: Berlin (Herstellen von und Gestalten mit Wülsten aus Gräsern)

Volker Grahmann, Jens Hansemann, Glen Maria Heintzmann-Menzel, Nicola Essig, Lucas Schmidt, Brigitte Stadler, Karl Strecker

Prof. Andrea Rauschenbusch

Prof. Alexander Sahoo, Prof. Ursula Zillig

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS for the financial support provided by the University of the Arts as well as the Friendeskreis of the University of the Arts Bremen

ALCOVA 2026 Via Saint Bon 7 20147 Mailand